Superfine Taiwan Qing Xiang Dong Ding Oolong Tea

A sample that came with my recent order there, there’s a medium roast on this one. For the most part, this is there in a good way, although the roast can tend to over power a little. It adds a sweet caramel-esque touch to the flavors in your cup, though, playing on the edges of the tongue behind the general roasty toasty body.

Opens up sweet, a bit buttery, and a little florally aromatic with a slick, lingering mouthfeel. As the leaves unfurl, it becomes a drying mouth feel tea, loses the bit of flowers, and settles in as a creamy, roasty oolong with sweet edges that confuses my brain as creamy flavor and super dry mouth seems like it shouldn’t be a thing. Quite a nice change up from the normal floral explosion, nuclear green Taiwanese oolongs I’ve mainly tried so far, although still the same light, pure character at heart under the roast. I think I like something more complex and/or heavier, so probably won’t be seeking this out again myself, though.

After a while, all the teas of the same type start to blend together and I forget what an oolong I’ve had in the past tastes like relative to one I’m having now. Or what the difference is between Dong Ding and Tieguanyin. So, After my first isolated cup of this tea, I decided to brew it with two other oolongs I had in my cupboard (one a tieguanyin and another unknown, but I strongly suspect that it is also tieguanyin).

Unfortunately, I have no other Dong Dings to compare it with at the moment, but the tieguanyins definitely helped to put things in perspective and help me to isolate certain characteristics that I would otherwise be oblivious to.

So, without further ado, my tasting notes:
This one has a very creamy mouthfeel. I notice the floral notes first, especially in the aroma. As the tea cools it develops a nutty or bready flavor. Not something I am used to in a green oolong. However, after reading some other tasting notes, it looks like there is some question as to whether or not this oolong is slightly roasted. I’d still say its a green one, albeit unique.

the creamy breadiness sort of works its way into a soupy vegetal flavor — almost. It’s as if it’s trying to become a green tea but not quite. The floral brings it back to its senses. :p

Pretty good over all.

This is one of those teas that tastes better when you combine all of the infusions. I brewed it gongfu style following TeaVivre’s instructions (rinse, 30s, 30s, 35s, 45s, 1m, 1.5m). I poured all of the infusions into a pitcher and tasted them as I went along. The individual steeps were unimpressive. Flat and slightly bitter with some unexpected milky notes. Combined though, a honeysuckle sweetness began to emerge. The milkiness was no longer there but some bitterness remained in the after taste. This was a meh sorta green oolong for me. Palatable, but nothing to write home about. Glad to have finished my sample so I can move on to other teas.

This was an incredible tea session! I opened my package to reveal these massive forest green nuggets. These beauties carried a creamy watercress scent. I placed them in my warmed gaiwan and shook them up. I removed the lid and took in a fantastic aroma. The warmed leaf smelled exactly like apple oatmeal. It was unbelievable! I knew that this would be a treat. I washed the leaf once and prepared for gongfu brewing. The steeped leaves gave off a complex fuji apple and pear scent. The liquor was a pale translucent jade. The taste was phenomenal! It was a heavy soup with a creamy finish. I could taste butter beans wrapped in magnolia nectar. The aftertaste was sweet with a warming sugared undertone. The leaves are massive! This session began in my gaiwan, and then I moved to my Zisha. Afterwards, the leaves continued to expand, so I moved to my cha hai and brewed grandpa style. The flavor became more floral and more sweet. I loved this so much. I was tea drunk and laughing throughout the session.

https://instagram.com/p/6BP_ttTGaq/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

https://instagram.com/p/6BUdIkTGSc/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel

I forgot I had a sample of this tea, so finding it was a nice surprise on this otherwise lame day. The flavor is very complex. There are pea notes, floral notes, a touch of honey flavor — it’s sort of fruity and vegetal at the same time. Has a lovely and slightly spicy smell — I don’t actually get spices in the flavor though.

Last tea in my Teavivre oolong tasting. Then it’s back to tasting random things, I guess!

The little leaf nuggets of this tea are tiny this time. Itty bitty, super tightly rolled leaves. They still expanded to reveal they were mostly complete, however. As they steep, the water turns bright greenish yellow. A very cheerful color!

The scent is pungent and a little nutty, but the flavor is neither. It’s so creamy! Buttery, even, with a sort of slow-cooked vegetable taste. However, in the exhale and aftertaste, I’m getting flowers. Maybe gardenia or hyacinth. Even after four minutes there is no astringency or bitterness. Just lovely summery notes.

This oolong has a lot going on, but it’s a harmony. I keep saying “this is my new favorite oolong” when I try these teas, but I feel that way each time I try a new one! Sad to see my Teavivre oolongs go. Maybe once I get through more of my stash, I’ll reward myself with more.

I last drank this last mid-November of 2014. This note is for educational purposes. Ratings won’t be deleted to keep the integrity of my first tasting note.

Gongfu session with a ceramic gaiwan. 5 second rinse. Steeping times: 30, 30, 45, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240.

The leaf post-rinse has a light and sweet floral fragrance. Early spring-like, leaves still “flowers” on trees. The liquor is light yellow and has a light body. Fuzzies float around. The texture starts off as creamy, then becomes soft and thick. The flavor profile does not change throughout the session. Instant yum! with the first sip. Very sweet, delicately floral, fruity (mostly peaches and apricots) aftertaste.

How it differs from the first time: definitely not vegetal and seaweed-y (clearly wanted to have more Japanese greens in my life back then). Not as floral, certainly no roasted vegetables or tartness or berries. I’m able to discern more sweetness and appreciate its gentle qualities. I changed my mind from mid-summer to early spring. It’s because this Dong Ding is not roasted. These leaves were plucked from a kind of bush mostly used for pouchong. A lovely non-roasted Dong Ding, not quite every day, but not incredibly special.

Another TeaVivre oolong! This was one of the free samples that Stephanie chose, and she was sweet enough to share a sample packet with me. I had such a good time trying my free oolongs, I figured why not one more? This one is not roasted, and the pellets are a lovely medium olive green with their usual widely varying size. Dry scent is very sweet with strong peach presence, light grassy notes, and a bit of floral.

The steeped liquid shares the strong peach aroma, and the floral aspect is now a bit heavier. I must admit, this is not my favorite flavor profile, and this is the reason I have been avoiding green oolongs for a while now. It’s heavily floral and it me, it sort of tastes like perfume. There’s a background flavor of steamed greens and butter, and the texture is quite thick, as I have come to expect from greener oolongs. I don’t get much peach here, surprisingly, perhaps a bit in the aftertaste. Not my style!

ok….def vegetal….earthy. Spinach. But smooth yet sharp. A little buttery but not creamy. More earthy. Earthy is the word. Strongest flavor upfront is the spinach or leafy green flavor. It’s a good sip tho. Classic oolong for me.

Thanks to Angel and TeaVivre for the sample!

This is a very nice oolong! Super buttery and vegetal, with some nice sweetness and faint floral highlights on top. I always forget how much I like oolongs like this one until I drink one again. Quite good! :)